23 April,2026 08:38 AM IST | Baramati | mid-day online correspondent
CM Fadnavis along with Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar ahead of the Baramati bypolls. (Pic/PTI)
Voting is now underway on Thursday morning in the Baramati and Rahuri assembly bypolls in Maharashtra. As reported by news agency PTI, elections for the Baramatai seat in Maharashtra began at 7:00 am and will conclude at 6 pm, an election official said.
Riding a sympathy wave, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who is contesting from Baramati, has urged voters to support her as a tribute to her late husband Ajit Pawar.
The by-election has been necessitated by the Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar's death in an air crash on January 28. There are 23 candidates, including Sunetra Pawar, in the fray.
The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 3.84 lakh. BJP's Akshay Kardile is in the fray in the Rahuri bypoll. He is pitted against NCP (SP) candidate Govind Mokate and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Santosh Chalke.
Apart from the Baramati seat, the Rahuri seat also became vacant after BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile's death in October last year.
The Maharashtra assembly has 288 seats, in which the ruling Mahayuti alliance has 235 seats (BJP-132, Shiv Sena-57, NCP Ajit-41, allies-5), while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi combine has 50 seats (Shiv Sena UBT-20, Congress-16, NCP SP-10, others-4).
Earlier, on April 21, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Sunetra Pawar, ahead of the by-elections, spoke about the plane crash that claimed her husband Ajit Pawar's life, saying that, like many others, she too has doubts about the incident, as she called for a thorough investigation and strict punishment for those responsible.
On the final day of the campaigning, the Deputy CM, in her public address on the final day of campaigning for the Baramati Assembly Constituency by-election, emphasised the need for justice.
She said, "Both the state and central governments are extending full support. But the culprits should be punished."
Ajit Pawar's nephew and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) legislator Rohit Pawar has been pursuing the Maharashtra government to file a first information report (FIR) in the plane crash case and has raised several doubts over the incident. However, as Maharashtra has not filed an FIR, Rohit Pawar went to Karnataka and got a zero FIR registered in the January 28 plane crash case, which Fadnavis termed an illegal move.
Further addressing the public meeting, Sunetra Pawar announced plans to set up a museum dedicated to Ajit Pawar's life and political journey, aimed at inspiring future generations.
(With inputs from PTI)
